1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to the processing of a wet sludge with a drying medium obtained from the wet sludge after having the moisture substantially reduced to constitute the drying medium, and to apparatus for carrying out the process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of the disposal of wet sludge material which may include paper sludge as a result of the deinking process, human sewage or similar make-up of sludge which has a wetness of an order that causes it to clump-up and plug apparatus intended to facilitate its disposal, a sludge disposal system is seen in Williams U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,456 of May 28, 1991. In that patent the sludge forms a primary source of fuel for use in a furnace which produces hot gas for drying the sludge material, however, the apparatus depends on recycling some sludge, after being reduced, for use as a drying medium for the incoming sludge.
There is a great need for a way of disposing of wet sludge, but the difficulty is that sludge in its wet condition clumps up and moves as a spongy mass that resists normal efforts to break up and divide the sludge so the reduction in the moisture binder will allow the solids to separate sufficiently to encourage drying. The usual operation of prior art apparatus is to dry the sludge by recirculating the dried output which reduces the total output of the apparatus by the amount recycled, and no increased horsepower is required.